Lismore Council facilities to include massive rooftop solar installations

Lismore City Council’s plan to become the first council/community solar farm in Australia will see major solar panel installations on the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre, the Lismore Community Centre, the Lismore Library, the Oakes Oval Pavilion, and a council depot.

With the Council pursuing a 100% renewable energy target by 2023, tenders have been opened for a 99.9kW solar project on the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre; a total of 70kW of rooftop solar on the other facilities along with a ‘floating solar plant’ that will be community funded, and located on top of one of the settling ponds in its sewage treatment plant.

The projects are part of a unique partnership between the Council and the community, developed in collaboration with Farming the Sun, Australia’s largest community solar energy initiative, with the money lent to the Council to build the project, and then repaid with interest at a commercial return to the investors.

Explaining the initiative, Lismore City Council Environmental Strategies Officer Sharyn Hunnisett stated “this is an innovative and unique concept utilising the latest technology.

“This will be Australia’s first council/community solar farm and ... is certainly a first for a council in NSW.”

The pool at the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre pool was closed during January for an upgrade of its pool lining.

At the time the Council conceded that the closure happened at “the worst possible time” but was unavoidable as the pool needed to be drained, repaired and refilled.

The $17 million facility was opened in 2009 and was described at the time as a “state-of-the-art sports and aquatic centre for regional Australia”.

For more information on the Lismore solar project go to http://farmingthesun.net

Tenders can be viewed at www.tenderlink.com/lismore

Images: Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre

Article amended 31st May 2016.

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